Rock Island, IL: Families are invited to take a close-up view of the night sky on September 30 with a free viewing session from the Popular Astronomy Club at the Rock Island 30/31 Library.

The Quad Cities Popular Astronomy Club will set up high-powered telescopes and their Mobile Observatory on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm in the 30/31 Library parking lot, 3059 30th Street.

Club members will help participants learn about space and see a variety of planets and stars. According to club president Alan Sheidler, participants could observe Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, the Moon, and a number of stars and star clusters, including Albireo, Gamma Andromedae, the Ring Nebula,  the Andromeda Galaxy, the Dumbbell Nebula, the Hercules Cluster, and the Wild Duck Cluster.

The 30/31 parking lot will be closed for the event, so participants should park in the First Baptist or St. George's Greek Orthodox church lots. In the event of rain or significantly overcast skies, the event will be cancelled. Guests should watch the library's Facebook page for updates.

The event is for all ages. The library building will be open for restrooms and late checkouts.

For more library events and services, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow the library's social media sites, or sign up for the library's email newsletter. For other questions about library services and programs, call 309-732-READ.